Justice Barrett: No judge is deciding a case in order to impose a policy result

April 5, 2022 Amber Coakley US 0

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett speaks with Board of Trustees Chairman Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation in Simi Valley, Calif., Monday, April 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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UPDATED 7:21 AM PT – Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently weighed-in on concerns that members of the court may be basing decisions on trying to achieve a policy outcome. While speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on Monday, Barrett acknowledged justices have opinions about the results of their decisions.

She added, however, that no judge is deciding a case to impose a policy result. She claimed every member of the court is trying to make their best effort to determine what the law as well as the U.S. Constitution requires. Barrett also encouraged dissenters of Supreme Court rulings to take a close look at the court’s justification.

“But I think if you’re going to make the latter claim that the court got it wrong, you have to engage with the court’s reasoning first,” she explained. ” “And I think you should read the opinion and see, well does this read like something that was purely results driven and designed to impose the policy preferences of the majority? Or does this read like it actually is an honest effort, a persuasive effort, even if one you ultimately don’t agree with to determine what the Constitution and precedent requires as applied to a particular problem at hand.”

Barrett also noted the idea of cameras in the courtroom to cover Supreme Court cases is a “uniquely tricky issue.”